A Separate Peace in Around the Year in 52 Books

Dec 29, 2018 John Warner rated it it was ok

Shelves: literary-classic

This novel opens 15 yrs after the events in the remainder of the book. The narrator, Gene Forester, has returned to Devon School in N.H., where he was a student during WWII. He intentionally seeks out two site, both integral elements of the story: a marble staircase in one of the academic buildings and a particular tree on a loft above a river.

The primary focus of the story o the novel involves the love-hate relationship between Gene and Finny. The former is a quiet, somewhat insecure, intellect ...more

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Nov 24, 2020 Susan rated it really liked it

I loved A SEPARATE PEACE when I read it back in college, so I wanted to revisit it. I'm glad I did as I enjoyed the re-read. Although the story is sad, it's compelling and thought-provoking. I paused over many passages, some which made me smile, others which made me ponder. Knowles is a beautiful writer. While A SEPARATE PEACE is short and readable, it's a book that sticks with you. ...more

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Oct 08, 2014 Kate rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-for-book-club

I expected to thoroughly hate this book. I really did. It's drawn so many comparisons to Catcher In The Rye as a coming-of-age boys book. But, I found myself finishing the book with eyes full of tears. Such a beautiful, haunting, and poignant story, with an authentic voice that connected me on a profound level with the cares of boys who live in an idyllic setting while the rest of the world burns. ...more

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Oct 07, 2013 Deedee rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, classics, historical-fiction-world-war-two, boarding-school, usa-new-hampshire, challenge-2013-fall, challenge-2013, read-in-2013, rory-gilmore-reading-challenge

4* for style, 3* for content. I'm not normally interested in the hijinks at a boy's boarding school. I didn't like the hero/narrator. And ... The event at the end was there for shock value, and not an event arising organically from the narrative. Recommended only if you need a book to do a report on for school. ...more

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